BOARD OF ADVISORS
CONTACT Mr. Krystol Cameron CORPORATE 90 Danbury Road New Milford, CT 06776 OFFICE Tel. 860-799-2040 WEBSITE www.simplyme.tv
Chairman of KaComm — Dr Gregory J. Clark
Dr. Gregory J Clark is a world-renowned scientist, technologist and businessman.
He spent 15 years as a Research Staff Member in the IBM Research Division, Yorktown Heights, New York.
Subsequently, as President of News Technology Group and a Member of the News Corporation Executive Committee, Greg oversaw all technology within News Corporation and was responsible for all technology related companies within the Group, including all Internet and the satellite pay TV companies. Some of these companies, such as Israel based NDS, became billion dollar enterprises. He was responsible for News Corporation's transformation of its media assets from an analogue platform into a digital platform for both program creation and delivery.
Greg Clark left his role as Director of Technology for News Corporation to take up the position of President and Chief Operating Officer of Loral Space and Communications based in New York. This company is the world's largest commercial satellite manufacturer and, at that time, the world's second largest satellite operator. He was Chairman of GlobalStar and SatMex. During his time at Loral, he oversaw the development and manufacture of satellites, their launch and commercial operation. He worked with a group of entrepreneurs to develop Wildblue, the world's first truly broadband satellite that now serves approximately 500,000 customers in the USA using a Loral-built Ka-band satellite.
Dr. Clark served as an advisor to the Apollo Management Group on the acquisition of several satellite service providers including Intelsat and Hughes Network Systems. In this capacity, he assisted Hughes during their entry into 2nd generation satellite broadband services business and oversaw for HNS the build, by Boeing, of the Spaceway 3 Ka-Band satellite.
Greg has received a number of international awards and fellowships in recognition of his contributions to technology and society. He was on the Australia Prime Minister's Science and Technology Committee from 1990 to 1998. He is currently a Director of the ANZ Banking Group.
Christopher J. Williams Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Christopher J. Williams is Chairman, CEO and founder of The Williams Capital Group, L.P. and Williams Capital Management, LLC.
Mr. Williams began his career with Lehman Brothers in New York, where he was most recently a Senior Vice President with responsibilities in debt capital markets, derivatives and fixed income securities trading. Upon leaving Lehman Brothers in 1992, Mr. Williams formed Williams Financial Markets, a division of Jefferies & Company, which specialized in structuring debt financings for investment grade corporate issuers.
Chris Williams founded Williams Capital in 1994 and has since directed the firm's strategic effort in investment banking and its expansion into asset management. In 2008, the firm served as lead or co- manager on nearly 250 corporate debt, agency, and equity offerings with a total face amount of over $320 billion. Williams Capital consistently ranks among the top 15 most active underwriters of corporate debt.
Black Enterprise magazine has ranked Williams Capital as the #1 minority-owned investment bank in five of the last six years. Additionally, both Fortune magazine and Crain’s New York Business selected Chris Williams as one of the most powerful minority business leaders in America.
Mr. Williams serves on the board of directors of Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. He is also an active board member of several higher education institutions, not-for profit organizations, and corporations. These memberships include Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Partnership for New York City, Teachers College at Columbia University, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Mr. Williams is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and the Economic Club of New York and remains a longstanding supporter of the Fresh Air Fund and Partnership with Children.
Chris Williams holds a Master of Business Administration from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and a Bachelor of Architecture from Howard University.
Joyce M. Tudryn is president of The International Radio & Television Society Foundation, a nonprofit membership organization that assures that the skills and ideals of today's professionals are passed on to future generations of media leaders. Tudryn began her career as a member of the editorial staff in the radio department at the National Association of Broadcasters in Washington, D.C. She has experience as a magazine columnist, as well as a video producer for the public affairs department in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. This past year, the Broadcast Education Association saluted Tudryn with its highest honor-the Distinguished Education Service Award-and she was named as one of the "50 Most Influential Women in Radio" by Radio Ink magazine. She received the National Advisory Board Member of the Year Award from the National Broadcasting Society in 2001. Tudryn also serves as an advisory board member of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, where she received a degree in public relations.
Tyrone Stith is the Co-Executive Producer of the Urban Café television program and brings over 20 years of experience in television production to the venture. He has been employed by many of the leading companies in the TV industry in both technical and editorial capacities, namely: Cablevision’s News 12 Long Island and Sports Channel, Lifetime Television, ABC Network, NBC Sports - Olympics, Fox Sports and MSG Network., Director of Engineering / Technical / Studio / Field Operations at The Oxygen Network in New York City. Mr. Stith is currently the Director of Engineering/Technical Operations at Manhattan Neighborhood Network
Roman Kikta Managing Partner & Co-Founder
Roman Kikta is a 25 year wireless industry veteran, seasoned entrepreneur, venture capital investor and author. Roman is an expert in the launch and growth of new products and services. He is well known as an effective "change-agent" who combines his entrepreneurial spirit with extensive product program management and development experience to inspire, build and accelerate every organization he touches. Roman has held key management positions with leading wireless industry companies: Nokia, Panasonic, GoldStar (LG), and OKI. He is also a co-founder of Global Wireless Holdings (GWH), E-Life (a proposed spinout from Nokia), SpeedLink Communications, and ChangeAgent Media.
Roman is an acknowledged expert on market trends and the role of technologies on society from an anthropological, sociological and psychological perspective. He has led the development of several industry firsts: cellular payphones, cellular in-building/PBX systems, voice recognition dialers, several generations of mobile transportable and portable phone designs and the initial launch of PCS in the U.S. As a venture capital investor, Roman has a perceptive sense of market trends and opportunities involving technology solutions in wireless communications. Roman is a respected authority on technology innovation and entrepreneurship, and is frequently quoted in newspapers, industry publications and has been interviewed on television programs including High Tech Texas on WFAA, and guest speaker on talk radio WBAP and CNET. He has written numerous articles and has co-authored four books published by McGraw-Hill on communications technologies including: "Wireless Internet Crash Course", "3G Wireless Demystified", "Delivering xDSL", and "CDMA IS-95 for Cellular & PCS: Technology, Economics & Services" and is also a contributing editor at Mobile Video magazine, The Animated Telecom Dictionary, NowPublic, ThoughtLeader.net and the DallasBlog.com.
Roman is a Fellow of the Radio Club of America and was named a 2001 High Tech All-Star by DFW TechBiz. Roman currently serves on the Board of Directors or Advisors of Always@Market, ChangeAgent Media, Hunome, ThoughtLeader Network, Texas Chapter of the AEA Texas (American Electronics Association), Entrepreneurs Foundation of North Texas and the University of Texas at Dallas, School of Management - Executive Education and a Charter Member of TiE (The IndUS Entrepreneurs). Roman has a B.A. degree from Rutgers University; he is a graduate of the Private Equity & Venture Capital Program at the Harvard Business School; The Strategy & Innovation Program at MIT Sloan School of Management. Roman is a sought after speaker on future wireless technologies, innovation, entrepreneurship and venture capital issues in the United States and internationally and serves as a guest lecturer at the Entrepreneurial Finance course at The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Management. Books co-authored by Roman Kikta (published by McGraw-Hill):
Jack Knight is a hit urban songwriter and producer whose credits include hit songs by Diddy, Biggie, Total, Carl Thomas, Faith Evans, Keyshia Cole, Jennifer Lopez, Loon, Mario Winans, Christina Aguilera, Monifah, Lil’ Kim and others. Jack initially came to the forefront as an urban soul writer and producer, working with the likes of Blackstreet, Rakim, Imagin and Chico DeBarge.
After scoring a couple of hits behind the scenes, Knight decided to move into the realm of recording, releasing his critically acclaimed debut album, Gypsy Blues (Universal) in the summer of 1999. He was the first writer signed to Sean 'Diddy' Combs publishing company, Janice Combs Music , which is a subsidiary of Bad Boy Entertainment, where he continues to write, record, and produce hit records on a regular basis.
In 2006, Knight published his book, The Art of Writing A Hit Song: The Urban Experience. Jack states: “Most music buyers don’t understand music theory, or play 21 instruments. Sometimes you got to make it simple for people to sing along. But sometimes it’s good to be a pioneer.” The book breaks down the process and journey of creating and developing a hit song in a seven-step formula.
Recently in 2008 Knight established The Jack Knight Songwriting Academy which is an online Songwriting/Educational program designed to help economically disadvantaged youth and adults in the age range of 12 – 24 years old. We will teach them how to make and carry out important personal, career and educational decisions that will dramatically affect their future.
The Jack Knight Songwriting Academy makes use of a learning model, which integrates songwriting, teaching methods and structures to maximize learning power. It makes use of proven learning principles and adapts them specifically for educationally disadvantaged learners. Video, a powerful learning tool, is used to pose problems, model solutions, present emotionally laden material, and provide feedback. The Online Academy is used effectively to provide a dynamic learning environment where students can share ideas and doubts without fear of ridicule. We will provide many learning activities—modeling tapes, role-plays, exercises, and guides to be used in a sequence that maximizes learning.
When designing this site it was important to understand how youth develop and identify those skills that will contribute to their healthy development. According to the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine youth need opportunities and support from their communities to develop these important personal and social assets in order for them to become competent, contributing adult members of society. Youth do not need to possess all of these assets to thrive; however, having more assets is better than having a few. Also, continued exposure to positive experiences, settings, and people, as well as opportunities to gain and refine life skills, supports young people in the growth and the acquisition of these assets.
David Goodfriend is a lawyer and lobbyist in Washington, D.C. specializing in telecommunications and renewable energy financing issues. Prior to starting his own practice, he was Vice President of Law and Public Policy for DISH Network. His positions in government service included Deputy Staff Secretary to President Bill Clinton; professional committee staff to Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) and Chairman Herb Kohl (D-WI); and media legal advisor to FCC Commissioner Susan Ness. Goodfriend helped found Air America Radio and co-hosts “Left Jab” on Sirius-XM. He also is a regular political contributor to MSNBC, CNBC, and Fox. Goodfriend currently serves on the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council Advisory Board and co-chairs the FCBA Legislation Committee. Goodfriend was named by Multichannel News one of the “40 Under 40” and by Broadcasting & Cable as a “Fifth Estater.” He graduated cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center and summa cum laude from Beloit College. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland with his wife, Susan Emmer, and sons Benjamin and Ari.